Asbestos Packing - Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure Risks

Asbestos packing had a variety of uses, most of which were industrial. The material was used as packing for boiler doors, valves and pumps, and was widely used in the ship-building industry. Ship-yard workers, manufacturers and even men in the Navy were exposed to asbestos via asbestos packing and other materials used in ship-building. Working with materials such as asbestos packing caused a very high degree of asbestos exposure, not only to these workers, but also in some cases to their families as well, as the fibers were often present on the clothes of workers. As late as the 1970s, the safety precautions taken to prevent exposure were extremely inadequate, and in some cases were even non-existent.

The Dangers of Asbestos

The dangers of asbestos were known as early as the 1930s, making the continued use of the substance an even greater tragedy. It was not until the 1970s that any efforts were made to protect people who worked with asbestos. Asbestos is now widely known to cause a number of serious and fatal diseases, including lung cancer, a lung disease known as asbestosis, and mesothelioma, a rare and lethal form of cancer that most commonly develops in the lining of the lungs. While long-term asbestos exposure is most likely to cause such diseases, short-term or low-level exposure is equally dangerous.

Asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma are particularly deadly, partly because of the long latency period of these diseases. The number of cases diagnosed every year is steadily increasing, as people who worked with asbestos in the 1960s and 1970s are still being diagnosed with asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Currently around two thousand people are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year in America. Mesothelioma itself is highly lethal, partly because the symptoms of this cancer often resemble much less serious viral infections such as flu and pneumonia. Mesothelioma is so difficult to diagnose that many people are diagnosed so late that by the time diagnosis occurs, they have just two years or less left to live.

Asbestos Exposure and your Legal Rights

Anyone who worked with or around asbestos is at risk of developing mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer, and the families of such people may also be at risk. This tragic situation could have been avoided in the majority of cases by replacing asbestos packing and other materials with safer products, or by providing protective equipment for people working with asbestos. Many companies ignored the risks, and put their workers in great danger.

Over the past two decades, many thousands of people have pursued legal action against the companies they worked for that were responsible for their asbestos exposure and subsequent development of mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Financial compensation obtained via legal action can pay for medical expenses, replace lost income, and compensate for loss of quality of life, as well as physical and emotional suffering.

In America, there is a statute of limitations on such cases of two or three years, depending on the state in which you live. This means you must start legal proceedings within two or three years from your date of diagnosis of mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer. If you or a loved one has received such a diagnosis, don't hesitate in contacting an experienced mesothelioma lawyer who can help you understand your legal rights, and pursue a settlement or law suit that will help you obtain justice and compensation from the company responsible for your exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma News

Asbestos Testing for Oneida County Building Funded by Union
2008-11-20 15:50:02
The Oneida County Office Building in Utica, New York has recently tested negative for airborne asbestos. Apparently though, that isn't good enough for the union, which represents county employees. Uni ...Read More
Asbestos Tests Show New Jersey Sports Field Poses No Risk
2008-11-20 15:36:54
Asbestos was discovered last month at a public area in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, which prompted concerns that there may be exposure risks for locals. Now, however, those fears have been allayed, as tests ...Read More
EPA and Vermont Working Together to Solve Asbestos Mine Problem
2008-11-20 15:19:39
State of Vermont officials have released a new statement about the urgent need for investigating the impact of an abandoned asbestos mine in Colchester. The mine, located near the towns of Eden and Lo ...Read More